Too Much Horror Business

I highly recommend the great new book by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett that showcases his incredible collection of horror movie posters, props, toys, and original art, including a bunch of Frazetta's and some super sweet model box art. There's info on all the entries, plus three very cool interviews with Kirk on the nature of his obsession with horror stuff, another on collecting and the last on his music. A hardback book, with over 200 pages of color glossy pages. A Must have!

Japanese Toy Shop Videos pt 1

During my last trip/toy excursion to Japan, in October, 2011, I filmed a number of the toy shops and stores that I went into. For the most part I used my Veho Muvi mini spy camera, a pretty neat little piece of equipment. I just snapped it onto the left hand arm strap off my backpack and hit record. No one knew any better.

A big shout out must go to the guys at Super 7 and their essential book 'Tokyo Underground (1 and 2)'...pretty much a must if you intend to find any of the more hard to find toy shops scattered around Tokyo.

Here are the first two videos, from Third Uncle/Characters in Koiwa and Toys Golden Age, in Akihabara.

I'll be adding more in the coming days and weeks. You can always check my YouTube channel (Kamenliter) for updates.

As the Super 7 book says, the prices at Third Uncle were pretty crazy, but to their defense, the toys they had were in great shape, in nice boxes..but still, many high prices. Since it was one of the last stops, money was dwindling, and the exorbitant prices didn't help matters, but I finally decided on a nice Kamen Rider Stronger Popy vinyl (w/ removable helmet) and a smaller Popy Red Baron vinyl. Even just those two items set me back 30,000 yen. That transaction is documented on the video.

I didn't record my purchases at Toys Golden Age, but for the record, I picked up a cool Henshin Cyborg style purple horned cyclops figure...don't know who he is, but it was only 2100 yen for the figure and costume.

All the photos below, btw,  are from Third Uncle/Characters.

Ray Harryhausen:Special Effects Exhibit at MOMA, NYC 1981

These photos were taken by my dad during the Summer of 1981, at an exhibit of Ray Harryhausen's stop motion figures and drawings (not pictured here, but which can be seen in his various books) at the Museum of Modern Art, in NYC. The show was entitled Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects and ran from May 28–September 1, 1981, coinciding with the Summer release of Clash of the Titans.

Dark Crystal Exhibit pics - c. 1982/83

I took these photos at an exhibit for The Dark Crystal, the great Jim Henson puppet film, at the Astoria Motion Picture Studios in 1982 or '83.